Tag Archives: family

Dinner for the dead and alive (Rousse)

Posted on March 12, 2022 by Dreamaticus

They were all there – family members dead and alive at my maternal grandmother’s house: my uncle who had emigrated to Australia in the 1970s was on the lawn in the back garden with his younger daughter, who was photographing … Continue reading →

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Timber frost danger (Rousse)

Posted on March 7, 2022 by Dreamaticus

My entire immediate family crowded into the garden shed for my brother-in-law to pass judgement on the tiny defect in the wood above the door frame. ‘Bad news, I’m afraid’, he said. ‘This is frost damage. Your shed is falling … Continue reading →

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How not to change a nappy (Rousse)

Posted on September 5, 2021 by Dreamaticus

My status in the household was rather ambiguous as the former au pair girl. Should I really be left in charge of the children three decades later? That question was answered when I attempted to change the sodden nappy on … Continue reading →

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Invitation to murder (Rousse)

Posted on May 17, 2021 by Dreamaticus

My family was running the risk of reputational ruin. Already we were known for being loud and eccentric. Now it seems that we had invited someone for dinner and – for entertainment at the end of the evening – murdered … Continue reading →

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Royal family lookalike con (Rousse)

Posted on March 4, 2021 by Dreamaticus

The excitement was raw: every single one of us would have 30 minutes or so to chat with a royal couple! My friend found out first that hers was the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Mine was Diana, Princess of … Continue reading →

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An icy dip on Christmas Day (Rousse)

Posted on March 3, 2021 by Dreamaticus

So delighted was TPR to be with his entire family again, on arrival at his mother’s house for Christmas he disappeared straightaway into the large cinema room with his sisters. That left me with his step-father to set the table … Continue reading →

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Boris Johnson wedding (Rousse)

Posted on January 17, 2021 by Dreamaticus

As aunt to one of Boris Johnson’s children, I was invited to the big family wedding.

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House clearance ‘burglary’ (Rousse)

Posted on September 17, 2020 by Dreamaticus

I stood outside our building and watched several members of an Indian family empty the ground floor flat. When yet another a young man came out of the front door – this one carrying a neat pile of brown bed … Continue reading →

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Ian Rankin environmentalist (Rousse)

Posted on May 20, 2020 by Dreamaticus

Ian Rankin (30) nodded with approval when I told him that nobody in our family of five owned a car. He also shared his excitement at developing a friendship with someone as old as me, and confirmed that he too … Continue reading →

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Medieval knight hands over family heirloom (Rousse)

Posted on April 21, 2020 by Dreamaticus

I hadn’t seen TS in years, yet he treated me like a long-lost sister. His generosity knew no bounds when he presented me with a family heirloom to take home: an antique Christmas-decorated serving dish. When he wandered off through … Continue reading →

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